BARCELONA, SPAIN, August 29, 2009 – According to a new survey of cardiologists throughout Western Europe, physicians agree almost unanimously (96%) that their acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients on oral antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and aspirin plus ADP inhibitors, such as clopidogrel) are still at significant risk for having another cardiovascular event. Events can include life-threatening complications such as heart attack or stroke – and the majority of cardiologists surveyed estimate that up to 40 percent of these patients may be at risk.
Approximately 7.2 million people worldwide die each year from coronary heart disease, the most common cause of death in Europe and the U.S. ACS is a very common and life-threatening complication of this disease. , Research shows that in the U.S. alone, up to 30 percent of patients who leave the hospital after an ACS event are readmitted within the first six months.3
The results of the Harris Interactive survey, conducted among 500 cardiologists in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, were presented today at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2009, the annual meeting of the international cardiac professional society, currently being held in Barcelona, Spain.
“While these results reflect that cardiologists throughout Western Europe routinely use oral antiplatelet therapies to help protect their ACS patients from future events, they also demonstrate the need for greater treatment efficacy,” said Frans Van de Werf, MD, PhD, Department of Cardiology, University of Leuven in Belgium. “Moreover, while there is a broad recognition of the residual risk these patients face, when you look at data from major ACS trials, it’s clear that the actual risk may be proportionately greater than most physicians estimate.”4,5,6
While 90 percent of respondents agree that oral antiplatelet therapy is the standard-of-care treatment, 79 percent noted that some patients experience further cardiovascular events as a result of poor responses to treatment. Three quarters of cardiologists agreed somewhat or strongly that bleeding is one of the disadvantages of oral antiplatelet therapy in the treatment of ACS.
The survey also revealed that 87 percent of physicians would opt for a novel oral antiplatelet therapy that does not have incremental major bleeding risk.
“Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and despite treatment advancements in recent years, these survey results reflect the existing concerns of cardiologists in these regions,” said Jose L. Zamorano Gomez, MD, FESC, Professor of Cardiology, University Complutense, Madrid, Spain. “There is a vast unmet medical need for oral antiplatelet therapies that can address efficacy without additional incremental bleeding risk.”
This pan-European survey was preceded by a similar survey of 300 U.S. cardiologists conducted in March 2009 and published exclusively on TheHeart.org in June. Both surveys were commissioned by Schering-Plough Corporation. For findings from the U.S. survey, visit:
http://www.theheart.org/documents/infoSite/unmet-needs-in-antiplatelet-therapy/index.html
Survey Design
The online Pan-European “Cardiovascular Unmet Medical Needs” survey fielded the responses of 500 cardiologists based in five countries: Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Schering-Plough Corporation, June 29 – July 10, 2009. To be included in the survey, cardiologists were required to: practice in the respective countries; self-report cardiology specialty; treat at least 20 patients per week; treat at least five acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients per week with unstable angina, ST segment elevated myocardial infarction, or non-ST segment elevated myocardial infarction (with the exception of France which required three); write at least five oral antiplatelet prescriptions per month for ACS patients with unstable angina and non-ST segment elevated myocardial infarction; and spend more than 50 percent of the time treating patients. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit http://www.harrisinteractive.com.
About Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform to human prescription, animal health and consumer health care products. Schering-Plough’s vision is to “Earn Trust, Every Day” with the doctors, patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its colleagues around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site is www.schering-plough.com.
